Another thing that flummox’s new users is dB values. They appear backwards because they’re negative numbers.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/audiobook-mastering-version-4/45908/68
This is why I stopped calling sound values higher and lower and started using louder and quieter.
There are a couple of systems like that. Performance rhythm timing or “latency” works in negative numbers and it will make you want to go lie down for a while after struggling with it.